Volkswagen Passat Performance Concept

Because turbo.

Volkswagen’s foremost Detroit debutante is a concept version of its impending three-row crossover SUV, a vehicle based on the Passat and, like that sedan, designed for American mass consumption. For a more-focused audience—enthusiasts—VW will show this Passat Performance concept, a precursor to a sporty production model.

The company, as we’ve previously reported, is preparing to replace its 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine here with the EA888 1.8-liter turbocharged four. The engine already is available in a number of global markets and will slot into our Beetle, Jetta, and Passat, and it’s what’s in this show car. Making 250 horsepower, it works through a six-speed automatic. (VW doesn’t specify, but we believe this is the DQ250 dual-clutch transmission.) VW nerds—or those with the ability to read a spec sheet—will notice that it makes less power than the 280-hp VR6 Passat already on sale. The turbo-four Sonata (274 horsepower) also has more muscle, as do the V-6 versions of the Honda Accord (278) and Toyota Camry (268). The 1.8T would have bragging rights over the 240-horse Ford Fusion 2.0-liter EcoBoost, however.

So what’s the idea behind introducing a performance variant that won’t even be the power player in its own family? Our hypothesis: This car’s mission is to introduce the direct-injected 1.8T to the Passat, a high-volume car of which nearly 120,000 were sold in the U.S. last year. With a new plant coming online in Silao, Mexico, to build the engine, and the Beetle and bestselling Jetta assembly lines to feed, it may take some time for Volkswagen to be able to meet demand. It would also allow for a more controlled rollout; should there be teething problems with the Mexican-sourced 1.8T in the Passat, a smaller initial run would confine any potential conflagration to fewer—and, as enthusiasts, likely more patient—customers.

But back to the concept, which is equally showroom-ready outside of the engine compartment. It rides on 19-inch wheels, exhales through a dual exhaust, and has a lowered sport suspension. Active bi-xenon headlamps are used up front and the taillights are LED pieces, while carbon-look trim has been fitted to the side-mirror caps and interior. The two-tone seats have “carbon-style” inserts, and the headliner and door pillars are black. Not exactly fanciful stuff, that. VW also mentions that the steering is of the electrically boosted type. (Only the Passat 2.5 has hydraulic assist now, so this oddly-specific-for-a-concept press-release tidbit tells us that the production 1.8T will join the TDI and V-6 in having electric steering.)

Production details—when, how much, etc.—are obviously still secret, but our guess is that you’ll see a Volkswagen Passat Turbo or Sport at dealerships by the end of the year.

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